DAY 1578 - Day 1345 in Recovery Paradise

Well, here we are just about 4 years to the date I was diagnosed with Tonsil Cancer.  I often mentor others coming down that hellacious treatment path and remark how good life is (period) on the other side.

I wouldn't be sitting here doing this had I not chosen to take the radiation/chemo treatments.  It helped that I didn't know what the Hell I was getting myself into...but definitely am grateful for the results.

Last week I gave a 90 day notice to my job, that I am going to retire and also go to 3 working days a week until then.  Four day weekends - to try out the retirement thing...my sister says the water is just fine...JUMP!

Wow... what an interesting ride the last 1578 days have been with 1345 new sunrises and sunsets as a bonus...

rlw

Day 1 - Another Day in Paradise

Thursday May 29, 2008

Saw a Head and Neck Specialist in Roseville. Got to hear the "C" word for the first time. Said that it was on my left tonsil and had apparently spread to my left lymph node. Wanted to do biopsy to be sure. Found out the hard way I was allergic to ephinefrin (sudafed) mixed with thelidocaine and blacked out and off to the emergency room to get blood pressure and heart rate normal. Bad headache followed - and did not get the biopsy done - told them they should have done it while I was out...Ha. Have to come back tomorrow and do it again with a different specialist nearer to me.

DAY 1499 - Day 1266 in Recovery Paradise

New to some - a duplicate to others - I posted this sentiment on another one of my blogs today, but felt it was perfect for this one too.


Let every day be yet another small marker on the joy of being on earth.   Last year I blogged every day (365) about the importance of TIME.  Lots of views, but really it was for me; to remind myself and reflect on my good fortune, EVERY day.             SUNRISE & TIME

This year I am blogging every day about GRATITUDE and thankfulness. GRATITUDE- a little goes a long way   Although my life is back to "normal", we all know it will never be the same again - we CAN choose to make it even better. The most disrespectful thing I can do with life is to take my recovery for granted. Some don't get the chance.

As with any relationship, (God, spouse, friend, or more importantly - ourselves) to be truly successful, we need to work on it everyday.  I end everyday (before I fall asleep - dark - everyone sleeping - just alone with myself) reviewing all the great experiences I  had that day and what I am thankful for and conversely, start everyday, upon awakening (dark - no eyes open yet) reinforcing my continuing victory over Cancer and how lucky and thankful I am to have one more day and what one special thing I am going to do with that time today.

Sounds odd, but I truly believe my experience with Tonsil Cancer, is the most positive, life changing experience I have ever had.  Often, God's most important lessons come with a baseball bat, for those of us that that just don't get it any other easier way.  It seems that Tonsil Cancer is the worst thing that has ever happened to me and is is also the best thing that has ever happened to me.

I choose not to be the victim.  I choose to be the winner.  It is the Yin Yang of life.  If Cancer is the Dragon - I choose to be the Tiger.


RLW

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DAY 1433 - Day 1191 in Paradise

Well, here we are in a new year (2012) with new resolutions and resolve to move our lives in a more productive direction.  The advantage of being diagnosed with Cancer, is that, if one is lucky that should be the wake-up call to embrace your resolution list, as if there is no next year.  I heard that news one thousand, four hundred and thirty-three days ago.  I successfully (so far, so good) competed hellish nightmare of radiation and chemo treatment to gain more time.  To be exact, I have gained one thousand, one hundred and ninety-one more 24 hour days.  How often would I have thought about that under "normal" conditions?


It is truly amazing how much one can accomplish when almost all the sand is gone in the hourglass.  Time becomes more precious and hopefully on becomes a better judge of how that time should be spent.


Although I still have a couple of years left to reach official retirement, my mind says "now is a good time to start practicing".  I moved to part-time status at my work and embraced the 4-day work week.  I am picking up speed on accomplishing more  things on my "B"list...as I have successfully beaten the clock and accomplished everything on my shorter "A" list.


I resolved to create a blog about the value of time and post it daily for a year.  I started it on Christmas day 2010 and logged my final post on Christmas Eve 2011.  Whereas, some people have read it off the net and I have force-fed members of my family, (I did get 3443 views over the year) the greatest value was what I personally received by creating it.  I thought long and hard about time, what mine means to me and what would be the best use of the unknown quantity I have left.


Isn't it sad that people put more thought, desire for success, energy, conviction, creativity and resolve into planning their seven day vacation than they do for their life as a whole?  Seems a bit odd, don't you think?  When you know you are going to only get one vacation this year...think of all the planning we put into it to make it the best ever...but not our life.


We would be abhorred at the thought of flying to Paris, Rio or Cancun and sitting in our hotel room, watching TV, until the return flight was taxiing down the runway.  Wouldn't we want to cram all the excitement and joy into those days as we could? Why not our life?


It is because we think we have plenty of time and it won't run out.  We get just the one turn, unless you get a wake-up call, as I did, re: one's own mortality and take a peak at your life clock clicking away whether you like it or not and whether you do anything with your minutes or not. 


Every day, people pass away unexpectedly (meaning we all probably expect to die, but not just yet).  Who wouldn't choose being diagnosed with Cancer vs. being hit with a bus?  One has a lot more time and opportunity to get it right, to be the person you should be, and build your legacy for family and friends.


I an luck and I am grateful.  I started a new blog on Christmas Day    http://gratitude-alittlegoesalongway.blogspot.com/    (as a present to myself and to my family) to succeed the blog about the value of time and replace it with another daily blog about Gratitude and what I am thankful for.  Very powerful to FOCUS on that EVERY day.  It is like winning the lottery everyday...we are all very rich in the important things which, of course, are not things at all, are they?


rlw




SPIRIT IN THE SKY   -  Another Day in Paradise band

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 “A bend in the road is not the end of the road… unless you fail to make the turn.” - Unknown